The Old Fashioned
The Old Fashioned is a very simple cocktail that has been around since mixed drinks became fashionable in the middle 19th century, hence it’s name, and the fact the glass it is served in is named after it.
Originally the Old Fashioned was simply called the Whiskey Cocktail, and was included in the very first cocktail book ever made, Jerry Thomas’ The Bar-Tenders Guide from 1862, the cocktail’s name then evolved to Old Fashioned Whiskey Cocktail, and eventually just Old Fashioned. The Old Fashioned was not always made with American Whiskey, and just as Louisville Kentucky have named the Old Fashioned as the official drink of the city, the state of Wisconsin so loved the Brandy Old Fashioned that it is the official cocktail of the state.
As the Old Fashioned was popularized before Bourbon whiskey became a thing it is fair to assume that the original would have used Rye Whiskey, which is fine by me as I prefer Rye Whiskey anyway, but you can use Bourbon if you prefer.
Some rather serious mixologists will add a splash of Bourbon as well as the Rye Whiskey, this gives the cocktail a slightly sweeter, slightly more rounded flavour, and as much as I am a fan of experimenting with your cocktails for me the sharpness of Rye Whiskey gives the Old Fashioned a more direct flavour, and adding Bourbon just complicates this. Of course, once you find the perfect Rye and Bourbon combination you could well be onto a winner, but this could take a long time and a lot of testing. Considering there is not a range of American Whiskeys for me to choose from where I live I am happy to stick to my favourite, but this doesn’t mean you have to.
70ml Wild Turkey 101
10ml Sugar Syrup
3 Dash Angostura Bitters
Stir all ingredients with ice and strain into an ice-filled Old-Fashioned glass, garnish with an orange peel twist and a maraschino cherry.
